When You Pray

Part 1

Prayer is not merely an action. It’s the heartbeat of our relationship with God. In prayer we experience favour, forgiveness and freedom with our attentive Father. We approach Him confidently, sometimes not knowing what to say, always knowing Jesus empathises with our weaknesses, always knowing His Spirit intercedes for us.

Respond

Take some time and identify how you actually view your heavenly Father. What are some aspects of God that you need to grow in. How can we bring growth? Share together and pray for each other to that end.

Part 2

So many followers of Jesus live life as if they are defeated. Their view of God too often is that He is merely distant and weak. However, the Scriptures teach that the Lord intimate, all-powerful & responsive to our prayers. Elijah was someone “just like us.” He learned to prevail in prayer through incredibly diverse life circumstances. Let’s follow His example and call on God’s power today!

Engage with God’s Word

Discuss

Do your prayers suggest that you pray to a God who is omnipotent or to a God who is impotent? Give reasons and discuss.

Are your prayers focused on people’s spiritual health or mainly on other things?

How do you know/decide what to pray? What part does God play in this?

How do you align your will and prayers to God’s will and purposes? Discuss.

Have you seen God answer a prayer you have prayed? Share.

What does persistence/perseverance in prayer look like?

Why does God sometimes cause us to wait while we partner with Him in prayer? Discuss.

Do you have processes or routines that you go through in coming to God?

Respond

Spend time together discussing who the person that God wants you to bring before Him this week in prayer is. Now take time for each one of you to lay hold of God’s power and pray.

Part 3

Jesus explained that the reason He had to spend time with His heavenly Father was in order to maintain intimacy with Him. He said that He only did what His Father wanted Him to do and He highly valued the closeness and vitality of their relationship. If we truly want to only do what God wants us to do, how much more do we need to spend time with Him! This changes our perspective on prayer. Prayer is not a duty or a burdensome obligation, but it is an incredible opportunity for intimacy with God.

Engage with God’s Word

Discuss

Can you identify any of the barriers that stop you from praying? Discuss.

Why does unconfessed sin act as a barrier in our relationship with God and our capacity to pray? Discuss.

“Spending time with God is like being at a romantic candle lit dinner.” How does this idea sit with you? Discuss.

How would you describe your prayer times with God (drive through / shopping list / intimacy / relational recharge)?

What is one step you can take to re-invigorate your prayer life?

Respond

How we respond to an invitation depends on our diaries and who is sending the invitation. God is inviting us today to spend time with Him because He loves us and wants to enjoy our company and for us to experience Him. It is in this place that we find out where He is at work and how we can partner with Him.
Today, commit afresh to making a time and place to spend with your Father.